Minecrafters Into Reality
by Krios the Hunter
Summary: When an eleven year old boy named Caleb finds three little people crawling out of his computer, his life turns from ordinary to extraordinary. He gets in lots of trouble with his friends, but he still loves them. But what he's about to learn is that darkness can rise from unexpected places...
1. Prologue

Prologue

The zombies were banging on their door hard.

Steve and his mother, Cassandra, cowered as the mobs punched mercilessly at the door, making banging sounds. Alex, who was in her crib, was crying and snuffling because of the noise.

Suddenly there was a flash of iron and all the zombies keeled over and crumbled into dust.

Steve's father, Storm, ripped through the horde of zombies like a shovel through dirt.

Other warriors joined in on the fight and beat at the zombie's bodies with their swords.

Suddenly a creeper crawled out of nowhere and exploded, blasting one warrior into oblivion.

Storm yelled, "No!" and slashed through even more mobs with desperation. Suddenly a creeper came out of nowhere, right behind him.

"Dad!" Steve screamed.

The creeper exploded, blasting bits of dirt and stone everywhere.

And lying injured on the street was his father.

He looked up and smiled at Steve weakly before he crumbled into dust until the only thing left of him was the contents of his inventory.

"Dad! Dad!" screamed Steve. Suddenly the zombies blasted through the door, groaning and moaning. Cassandra stood up and tried to beat them back with a hoe, but they easily beat her into the ground. Cassandra groaned and looked into Steve's eyes. "Promise me you will do everything you can to protect your sister. Please." she said.

Before Steve could say anything, she crumbled into dust in front of his eyes. "No. No. Mom. No, please."

He cried in pain as one of the zombies struck him. The monster stepped forward, grinning madly.

Suddenly the zombie stopped with a look of shock. He fell forwards onto his face and crumbled into dust. The other zombies backed up, groaning in shock.

They were looking fearfully around for their assassin. Suddenly one of the zombie's expressions froze in shock. He observed the stone blade sticking out of his chest and crumbled into dust. The other zombies backed up, alarmed as a figure rose out of the darkness.

He moved with shocking speed and agility, stabbing and swinging his stone sword wildly. Suddenly his sword snapped in half and he swore.

The last remaining zombie, sensing victory, charged forward.

He never lived long enough to realize what a mistake he had made.

The zombie was kicked backwards onto his back and started to groan but was cut off as the mysterious figure stepped on his face and grinded his shoe painfully into the zombies face. As the mob slowly dissolved, the figure turned around. He held out his hand. Steve took it and the figure pulled him up.

"You ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm ok." Steve paused. "Who are you?" The figure took a long time to respond.

"Jesse. I'm Jesse." he said.

"Can you teach me how to fight like that?" Steve said. Jesse squinted his eyes at him. "Could," he said thoughtfully. "But aren't you a little young?"

"Young!" Steve said indignantly. "Listen, mister. I need to learn to fight if I want to protect my sister. I have to! It was my mother's dying wish!" he choked on the last word. Steve regained his stature and said, "Plus, I'm not that young! I'm eleven!"

"Hmm," Jesse said. "Sure, why not?" he said finally.

"Awesome!" Steve said enthusiastically. "When do we start?" Jesse scratched his head. "We'll figure that out later. Let's go to my place for the night. It's well protected. You probably shouldn't sleep here. I mean, this house is just begging to be attacked!" Jesse replied.

"Great!" Steve said. "I'll go pack!" he ran downstairs.

Those mobs are going to be sorry they messed with me soon. Steve thought.

 **And done!**

 **This is a new experience for me, since I like to write stories.**

 **I wrote this story at the age of eleven, and didn't really remember writing it until I came across a copy of this story on my ancient computer.**

 **Any type of criticism is appreciated.**


	2. Here's Where It All Starts

Chapter 1

Here's Where It All Starts

Hi. I'm Caleb. I'm writing this book because something very weird happened to me, and I want to record it so I never forget this extraordinary event.

Some little guys came out of my computer, and we had lots of funny, cool, and thrilling adventures. We overcome the school bully, get into lots-lots of trouble, and have many mischievous adventures.

If you're looking for a description of me, you got one.

But I'm not going to spend a lot of time on my description. You have been warned.

I have short messy brown hair, gray eyes, and I wear runners and plaid shirts most of the time. I also wear brown jeans.

Ok. Now that I'm done with my description, here we go.

It all begins with a game named Minecraft.

Yes, the game Minecraft. I'm sure you know about the game Minecraft. Who doesn't? People make YouTube videos about it, play it, think about it all day.

How could anyone not know about the game Minecraft?

Well this story begins with me playing-you guessed it-Minecraft.

I'm tapping keys on the keyboard, gritting my teeth and obliterating players on Skywars when my Mom yells, "Time for dinner, Caleb!"

"Coming!" I yelled, I get up out of my chair, and suddenly-wham!

I faceplant in the carpet.

I can hear the giggles of my sister, Sophie. She's obviously trying to stifle her laughter, but she can't help it- she doubles over in agony, snickering.

"Sophie! It's not funny!" my mom scolds, and I get up, wincing. I see that I tripped over a white wire, which is now...ripped.

I swear I saw the wires glow a faint cobalt blue.

Then I look at the computer's screen. I checked to see if I had done anything.

The computer had frozen.

"Aw, come on! Now I have to start all over again!" I groaned.

But it was worse than that. After dinner, Dad tried in vain to fix it- but it just didn't work. "Sorry, Caleb... We might have to get a new computer," my Dad told me sadly.

I was devastated, because Dad was usually clueless about video games, but he was great at computers. I went to my room and slept, trying not to think about video games...

Bzz _._

 _Bzz._

 _BZZ!_

I fall out of bed, shocked awake by a buzz. It sounded like someone had put a hornet nest right next to my head.

I hear my Mom and Dad snoring, and Sophie's soft breathing. I'm not surprised. Sophie could sleep through a hurricane.

I look around and quietly tiptoe up the stairs. I cringe as one of the steps let out a long _crreeeeaak._

But my parents are fast asleep. I quietly creep up the stairs, until- I almost fall down the stairs in shock.

There are little people. And they're crawling out of my computer! I pinch myself, just to make sure I'm not dreaming.

Ow!

So not a dream.

All of them are about as small as Lego people, and they did not look like a normal person.

They all looked very...how should I put it?

Pixelated. Cubic. Squarey. (Yes, I know that squarey is not a word.)

I recognized Steve, the default skin, and Alex, (Who by the way is not a boy,) and my own Minecraft character, who I named Jesse3103. But other players usually call me Jesse.

Steve had a light blue shirt on untucked on the left side and blue jeans, including brown hair and dark skin. Alex had long bright orange hair hanging to the left side, pale white skin, and dark green eyes, with a light-green shirt un-tucked on both sides, and a dark green belt wrapped around it, a pair of brown pants, and grayish boots. And Jesse was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and pants held up by suspenders, brown hair, and forest green eyes.

"Great! Just great! We're now stuck in a unknown dimension with no proper equipment, with no trace of getting back home, and absolutely _no knowledge of what the heck is in this dimension and what lives in it! And it's all your fault, Steve!_ " Alex yelled in Steve's face.

Wow. Is Alex ever a hothead.

"Hey, it's not my fault, you were the one that didn't even pack!" Steve said angrily. "Oh? YOU just said we were going fishing in the lake that was a few blocks away, but then you _just_ happened to chase this cow all the way to this random portal! And then you had a _brilliant idea_ and said we should explore the portal!" Alex yelled back.

"Hey, well _I_ wasn't the one that lost our map-"

"Will you guys shut _up!?_ You guys are _always_ bickering! Can't you see it's nighttime? People could probably hear you millions of blocks away!" Jesse scolded.

If looks could kill, the look Alex gave Steve would have made him explode.

Well, then I was totally confused. So then, I did the natural thing.

No, I did not run around in circles screaming.

I jumped out of my hiding spot. And I said, "Hi!" (Cause that wasn't stupid at all.)

They all jumped out of their skin.

Jesse went as white as snow and fainted, Steve jumped so high he nearly hit the roof, (which should be impossible because he was like four inches high) and Alex leaped backwards and hit the computer screen, falling onto the table, stunned.

"G-g-g-giant!" Steve murmured, and fainted.

 _Well, that went as well as it could've._ I thought.

I woke up, yawning. I had the strangest dream, about-

Little people jumping out of my computer!

I sped out of my room so fast I might have left behind a trail of burnt wood. I sped up the stairs, nearly tripping in my haste to get upstairs.

I staggered on the last step and faceplanted for the second time in a week, but I didn't really care.

I climbed to my feet and ran to the dinner table and found my three little friends, (well, we barely know each other, so I guess not friends.) trapped under a glass cup each.

I could see Steve, slowly chipping away at the cup with an iron pickaxe, drooping with exhaustion.

Alex was slamming into the glass, slowly moving the glass she was in to the edge of the table.

Jesse wasn't even trying to get out, and he was snoring so loud I was _shocked_ he didn't just _shatter_ the glass.

"All right, guys. It's time to get to...uh...know each other."

Steve eyed me, looking nervous. "Please don't eat me! I, uh, taste really bad!" Steve begged. I laughed.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you...not that I eat human flesh."

"So...a vegetarian?" Steve says hopefully.

"Nah. I eat meat."

Steve went pale and stepped backwards.

"I mean, only pork and chicken and beef and stuff. Not, like, human meat or something." I added hastily.

Alex pounded on the glass, shrieking, "Let me out, whoever you are, cause if you don't, I'll chop you into beetroot soup!"

"Beetroot soup."

"And then I'll throw your remains into the Nether!"

"You got spunk."

I could be famous! I could be the most popular kid in the world! If I showed the Minecrafters to the public, the paparazzi would be smashing down my front door!

Yet...

I certainly _didn't_ want the media to get their hands on the trio. Who knows _what_ the government might do to them? You honestly couldn't say they would be pampered. They would be experimented on, tortured, put in a cage to be looked at by scientists. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Maybe that's why I changed my mind about screaming " _MOOOOM!_ "

Suddenly, I heard a series of thumping sounds.

So either the stairs are really loud or my entire family is... _ahem..._ heavy, because whenever we go up the stairs, they make a loud thumping sound. So that means...

"Chris? Who are you talking to?"

Oh, crud.

My Mom was coming up the stairs!

I pulled Jesse, Alex, and Steve out of the glasses and shoved them all in my pocket.

"Hey!" protested Jesse. "I was having _such_ a good dream! About _food,_ and _diamonds,_ and-"

"Jesse, that sounds nice, but can we please save dream talk for when we're _not_ about to get eaten?" Alex interjected.

"If _all_ of you don't shut up I'll throw you all into a microwave and roast you!" I said, gritting my teeth.

"...a micro-what?"

" _SHHHHH!_ "

My mom walked up the stairs and into the living room.

"You're up early, Caleb. I heard you talking to someone."

"Me?" I said, putting on a fake look of confusion. "No, I wasn't talking to anyone," I said innocently.

Her gaze shifted from me to the three cups.

"May I ask _why_ there are cups on the table?" she asked, looking puzzled.

"Oh, um, I was, uh, drinking juice! Yeah, I was drinking...juice! Yeah!" I said, my composure slipping.

"But surely you only need _one_ cup, don't you? And I thought you finished the all the juice yesterday!" my Mom said, puzzled.

 _Oh no!_ I thought. _I forgot about that!_

I was slowly melting under my moms suspicious look. I needed a cover, fast.

"Uh, um, well...er, I just...well..." I stammered.

Luckily, Sophie suddenly appeared, distracting Mom.

"What's for breakfast? Is it pie again? Please, please, pullllleeesse?" Sophie begged. Mom hastily protested while I sneaked downstairs, unnoticed by both. I sneaked into my room and shut the door.

I fished out the three little Minecrafters (hey, that would make a good name!) from my pocket. "Finally!" Alex gasped. "Fresh air!"

I looked at all of them. Alex was attempting to climb down the bed and land on the floor, but she slipped and hit the floor with a big _smack!_

Jesse was attempting to mine a Lego person with his diamond pickaxe, but gave up when his pickaxe bounced back and poked him in the eye.

Steve was snuggled up in my bed, snoring loudly.

It was then I knew I would have big trouble on my hands.


	3. Church Disaster

Chapter 2

Church Disaster

After eating breakfast, apple pie, I secretly broke off a chunk of pie and gave it to the Minecrafters, hiding under the table, which they hungrily ate.

"I wanna know to craft this, because this is _amazing!_ " Steve muttered through a mouthful of pie.

Some pie flew out of Steve's mouth and splattered on the floor and all over Jesse when he talked.

Alex scooched away from Steve, giving him a look of pure disgust, while Jesse wiped off the specks of pie, looking as if Steve had just fed him a spider eye.

Meanwhile, I was occupied with a little dilemma.

The problem was, it was Sunday today, and we go to church on Sundays.

Jesse suggested that I leave them in the house.

I somehow got the feeling that that would result in catastrophe.

So, I eventually decided to bring them with me.

It wasn't easy getting to the church without getting in trouble, though.

And I don't think they believed me when I told them it was _not_ me that chucked a toilet paper roll out the window.

Apparently Steve had a fear of ghasts- _ahem_ -toilet paper rolls.

Alex tried to poke Sophie, but I snatched her away before Sophie saw her.

Somehow Alex mistook Sophie as evil when she punched me in the shoulder.

(I mean, she _is,_ but she punches me in the shoulder all the time, so I'm used to it.)

And Jesse actually tried to escape by jumping out the window, but I caught him and flicked him with my fingers for punishment. In the butt.

The problem is I think Sophie noticed.

"Now be quiet," I instructed as we walked into church.

Everything was going good until I realized Steve had gone from my pocket. I searched frantically for him.

I spotted him running outside when a clueless person opened the door to let Steve out.

I made up an excuse that I needed to go to the bathroom, and sped outside.

 _Oh, crud, I hope nobody sees him, or I'll be busted!_ I thought.

Too late.

I spot Steve, running under the legs of Cam, my friend at church.

"Caleb! What the-"

" _Catch that minecrafter!"_ I bellowed as Steve ran as hard as he could, wheezing.

Alex stuck her head out of my pocket. "Really, _what in the name of Notch is going on!?_ " Alex asked, holding tight as I ran for Steve.

"Sorry, Cam! Alex! Not really a good time! I'll explain later!" I yelled back.

I dived, narrowly missing Steve with my fingers.

I crawled closer and slapped him across the parking lot with my index finger.

I lay face down, gasping for breath.

I got up, brushing myself off, while Cam ran over to me.

"Oh my god! What is going-what's happen- _you better explain right now, Caleb!_ " Cam gasped.

I sighed and picked up Steve, who was massaging his back.

"Ok, ok," I said, defeated, and told Cam the entire story.

"So wait...let me get this straight," Cam said, scratching his head. "You actually saw these guys jump out of the computer? You're actually _friends_ with these little guys?"

"Well, not exactly _friends,_ " I muttered, resigned to the fact that Cam actually thought us _friends._

"So, where's Jesse?" I asked Alex.

"Oh, he's hiding at the bottom of your pocket shaking. I feel kind of bad for him." Alex answered, frowning.

Alex, feeling bad for _anyone?_ That's pretty hard to imagine.

She muttered to me, "I nearly barfed myself. The pocket was jumping up and down like a crazy minecart ride. Can't you run, well, a bit _slower?_ "

"How do you expect me to catch Steve by _walking?_ " I muttered, stung by this.

"But you're _bigger_ than all of us, so you could catch him even if you were walking through quicksand. Plus, he gets exhausted easily, and after a few minutes of running he slows to a crawl as if he was on soul sand while also climbing through spider webs. Actually, even slower than that." Alex pointed out.

 _She has a point,_ I think grudgingly.

"Hey, I'm not _that_ easily exhausted!" Steve protested indignantly.

"You see how Steve has a cool scar on his back? He got that after slowing down after being chased by a ghast."

 _"Alex!"_

Steve aimed a blow at Alex's head, but she ducked. I sighed, shaking my head.

"Steve, _please explain_ why you jumped out of my pocket and tried to run for it?" I said, narrowing my eyes.

"Uh...um...?" Steve said, looking for the right words. Steve was saved the courtesy of answering by Sophie, who walked over to me.

"Oh, hi, Sophie, I just, uh-ran into Cam! and we decided to talk a little and-"

"You'll never believe this, Sophie! Caleb has a bunch of little people in his pocket!" Cam blurted.

Nice going, Cam.

Sophie gave me a knowing look.

"Caleb," she said. "I know all about your little pals. So don't act stupid. I mean, you are stupid, but, like, I mean don't act _more_ stupid than you usually are. So drop the act."

I felt like I'd just been hit in the stomach with a sledgehammer.

"Youuu. Whaaat." I gurgled.

Steve emerged from the depths of my pocket, slightly green and covering his eyes.

"Please, please let it be over, please," Jesse moaned.

"How did you find out?" I said weakly.

"I heard you talking to someone in your room. You have to really get smarter. If _I_ were talking to three little friends of mine, I would whisper. I wouldn't just _yell_ like you did. I also noticed Alex when she tried to poke me and Steve when he chucked a toilet paper roll out the window. Oh, I also noticed Jesse."

 _Stupid troublemaking pufferfishes._ I thought in a cold fury.

"I didn't _yell,_ for your information. Also, you're going to get us busted by staying outside so long." I said.

 _Then she drops a major bombshell by saying the following._

"Oh, I won't bust anything. I already told them."

" _You WHAT!? SOPHIEE!_ "

"Ooh, a dogfight," Alex said gleefully as I dived at Sophie. " _Shut up, Alex!_ " I snapped at her.

I think the church people didn't really know what to make of the Minecrafters.

But I know for sure they didn't take very kindly to them.

First, Steve started to run under people's legs and feet, causing them to shriek in terror and shock.

The priest got pretty impatient, and I think Steve offended him by asking loudly why his head had no hair, so the priest kicked him out.

Then Alex asked what that black stick was, and why the priest was talking into it.

I told her that it makes your voice more louder and that it was a microphone.

I probably shouldn't have told her that, because Alex ran up to where the priest was having his speech and yelled loudly in the microphone so loud my ears nearly exploded.

I made a mental note to never buy Alex a microphone.

The priest, who was getting pretty angry, kicked _her_ out as well.

And to top it all off, Jesse (somehow) climbed onto the church balcony, and I had to run all the way up to the balcony to snatch him, where he was announcing that he would soon be trying 'the leap of faith'.

His muffled voice complained that I was smothering him, which I would probably hear about later.

That's when the priest exploded and yelled so loud that my ears nearly exploded, and kicked Steve _and_ me out.

So yeah. We caused a big commotion.

At church.

Sue me.

After service, I needed to go downstairs to eat 'lunch'. I let Steve, Alex and Jesse eat it in a dish.

"Ew," Steve muttered, gulping down the curry soup. "Ew, how do you eat this muck, Caleb?"

"Easy," I answered. "I don't."

"C'mon, Caleb! Let's go hang out or something." Cam said.

"Really? I was going to snatch Sophie's phone and run away from her while she screams curses at me, but ok."

Cam stared at me. "Not again! The last time we did that she caught us and whacked us over the head with a fork. And..." Cam turned red. "She's kind of cute?" Cam squeaked.

I looked at him in disgust. "You have terrible taste." I said to him.

I followed him, stowing the Minecrafters on my hand.

"So, what should we do, Caleb?" Cam asked.

I grinned. "With these three, you won't be bored any longer, Cam." I said with a grin.

"Hey, we're not your toys!" Alex yelled indignantly. "Whatever, Alex."

I checked my pocket. I had a feeling checking my pocket would be a daily routine.

"Hey- Steve! And Jesse! Where are they?!" I yelled.

Alex tried not to laugh.

"Oh, uh, they cut themselves out of your pocket with some shears."

" _And WHY didn't you tell me!?_ " I shrieked.

"Well, it didn't seem nice to make you exercise even more on _my account,_ " Alex said with an evil grin.

" _Steeve! JESSEEE!_ " I called. I caught sight of a blue blur slipping out the door.

I wrenched the door open, and the door swung open. The door almost hit Jesse, who had the sense to duck just in time.

Steve, however, was not so lucky. He tried to leap out of the way, but the door slammed into him, sending him flying into some poor person's soup.

I ran over and plucked Steve out of the person's soup and tried to ignore the way he was glaring at me.

"Wow, today must be a really unlucky day for Jesse. Flicked in the butt, whacked by your hand, squashed when you grabbed him off the balcony, and sent flying by a door all in one day!" William exclaimed. "You mean Steve. The person in the suspenders is Jesse." I corrected him.


	4. The Washing Machine of Doom

Chapter 3

The Washing Machine of Doom

After we finished church, we went shopping, but of course we couldn't even do _that_ without getting in trouble.

Mom and Sophie went shopping for clothes, leaving Dad and me to buy other things.

Jesse jumped out of my pocket into a vat of candies, and by the time I found him, there were toffee and lollipop wrappers everywhere.

Alex got really excited when she saw a bunch of toys related to Minecraft, and with building skills and a few potions of speed, there was an entire Lego Minecraft wonderland in the middle of the aisle.

I have to admit it was pretty cool, but I don't think she really took it well when the Walmart workers dismantled it.

How I know this is that she completely freaked out and started firing arrows of poison (yes, poison,) everywhere, shrieking like a psychopath.

I actually had to drag some unconscious bodies into the broom closet before picking up Alex and walking away as fast as I can.

I had a few things to say about that to Alex.

Luckily, the poison isn't _that_ deadly because the workers are way bigger than the poison arrows, so they woke up in a matter of time.

I know this because we pushed our shopping cart near the broom closet I locked them in, and I heard yelling and pounding inside there.

I pretended not to hear and tried to ignore the suspicious look my Dad was giving me.

However, _Steve_ was the reason we had to stay at Walmart one hour more than we would have been.

He climbed into a sock, and some woman picked up the pair of socks Steve was inside, and I swear, we looked for him for a full _thirty minutes._ We only found him when we heard a scream of terror and a thump.

Apparently, when the woman went to the counter, Steve tumbled out of the socks onto the woman's foot, and the woman, thinking it was a rat or something, let out a shriek of shock and terror, and, fainted.

She got a good look at me as I picked up Steve, who was very dazed, and I don't think she took to me very well, judging by her scorching look.

As we got in the car, Jesse toppled a water bottle and ended up soaking my sneakers.

How do these little guys cause _so much trouble?_ I thought as I wringed my socks.

Dad was upset because we were late and that Max, his other worker, had to stay one hour more than he had to.

I could tell that Max was pretty upset because he phoned Dad to see why he was taking so long, because when I heard Max speaking, he seemed pretty mad.

Apparently Max's wife had to go to the mall, but she couldn't do that without leaving Todds home alone, which meant that Max had to come to his house by 4 o' clock. (Todds is only 3.)

After the phone call ended, he put down his phone and glowered at the road.

The Minecrafters seemed to sense that my Dad was not in a good mood, especially Steve. I think he felt pretty guilty.

When we got to the laundromat my family worked at, I couldn't see Max's car in the parking lot, which I did not take as good news.

And as usual, the Minecrafters managed to create as much as trouble as they can at our laundromat, which did not help with Dad's mood.

I mean, seriously, it's like they _try_ to get in trouble all the time.

Somehow Steve managed to fall into a pile of clothes, and a woman threw that exact same pile of clothes, including Steve, into the washing machine.

I mean, talk about bad luck.

Steve screamed as water flooded the washing machine.

"Don't worry, Steve! I'll save you!" cried Jesse, pulling out his pickaxe.

"No! Wait! There's another way to get Steve out of-" I started.

 _Clink._

Jesse had whacked the glass as as hard as he could with his pickaxe, but nothing happened. "Phew! Well, at least it didn't-"

 _Crik._

Cracks spread across the glass like spider webs, and Jesse says, "Oops."

 _Pshhh!_

Jesse gets sprayed in the face with a stream of water, and suddenly the washing machine explodes into shards of glass, clothes, water, and two little Minecrafters.

I stare in disbelief as the water soaks into my shoes.

I hear a woman scream behind me, and I stare at the Minecrafters.

"Yes! Ha-ha! Jesse, the glorious hero, has saved the-" Jesse notices my expression.

"Day?" he finishes weakly.

Of course, I'm blamed for the whole thing, and as you can imagine, my parents are furious.

I'm screamed at by both of my parents for maybe fifteen minutes, and then they take away my computer privileges for one month.

Which means no video games...for one month.

"But-but-but that's totally un-" I start to say, but then I stop.

Of course it's fair. I could have stopped Jesse. I could have just snatched him. But noooo! I had to just stand there and say a few meaningless words!

I bow my head in shame and drag myself, along with the Minecrafters, to the office.

"Why do you look so wet?" Alex asks me. "And why do you look like all your ores got thrown in lava?"

Of course, I shouldn't have been angry at Alex. She was innocent. She didn't have anything to do with the 'washing machine incident'. But I was mad anyways.

"Shut up. Just...I need some quiet right now." I said.

Then Steve made his mistake. "Why are you so depressed? It's not like it matters very much, right? Who cares what your parents th—"

" _Matters?_ " I bellow suddenly. " _What matters!? Are you serious!? You got me in a ton of trouble! Max quit his job! My Mom and Dad are piping mad! And you don't even think that-what-you-_ " I whirl on Jesse, who flinches. " _You-YOU-this is all YOUR fault! If you had just listened-you-arrgh!_ "

"Hey, don't blame Jesse!" Alex yells, still not knowing what I'm talking about.

" _You weren't there!_ " I yelled at her. I grab the three Minecrafters and throw them out of the laundromat.

" _All I want is my life to be normal! And what are you guys? The opposite of normal!_ " I scream. I then slam the door.

When did my life become so messed up?

What did I do to deserve this? I just wanted a quiet life.

Is that so much to ask for?


	5. School Is There Anything More Annoying?

Chapter 4

School. Is There Anything More Annoying Than It?

As I brushed my teeth and washed my face, meanwhile in my room, Alex and Jesse were teaming up to smash through a glass jar to get to a fake, rubber, diamond.

I heard a crash and sped to my room, where Alex was poking the diamond, clearly disappointed.

"Hey," Alex exclaimed. "This is rubber!"

"So you mean I just broke my iron pickaxe for _dyed blue rubber?_ " Jesse grumbled, trying in vain to fix on the end of his pickaxe, which now looked more like a hoe than a pickaxe.

"Alright, you guys," I yelled, "Clean this up!"

"So no sympathy for me and my broken pickaxe?" Jesse yelled furiously.

I stared at Jesse like he had just robbed a bank and threw all of it into a volcano.

Jesse probably realised that I wasn't about to argue, probably because of the way I looked at him.

As the two cleaned up the mess, I said to Steve, "You can sleep, Steve. And you," I hissed sinisterly at the two trouble makers.

"Clean that up before you sleep, and Notch save you if I find a single shard of glass on my bed."

"But-" Alex started to say.

"Stop right there. You got me in enough trouble. I have enough on my mind without having my dad sleep on glass." I say, glaring.

As I closed my eyes and was shrouded in darkness, I instantly fell asleep. I dreamt I was being laughed at in school because Steve had drawn a mustache on me while I slept.

Then I dreamt of Mom phoning me and telling me, "Sorry, Caleb, Alex has burnt down the house, we'll have to live in our laundromat from now on." I tried to explain I couldn't sleep on a table, but then Alex said, "I could make you a new house, Caleb."

The house was a mansion, and it was perfect, but then the mansion caved in on me.

"No," I moaned. "Caleb, you _have_ to go to school!" "No..."

Suddenly I felt a sharp smack across my face, and I jolted awake, finding myself looking into the face of my grinning sister. " _Sophie!_ " I spluttered furiously. "What _was that_ for!?"

"Mom told me to wake you up, so I did." Sophie replied, grinning.

I grabbed for her, but she dodged out of my grip and ran out of my room, laughing like an idiot.

"Missed!" she called in triumph.

Steve appeared out of nowhere and landed on her head, hitting her with a miniature shovel.

Sophie winced. "Hit. Very solid hit."

"I owe you one, Steve." I muttered to him as we walked upstairs.

Steve, Jesse, and Alex sat on my shoulders and held on tight as I climbed up the stairs.

I ate the breakfast, sausages and scrambled eggs. I wolfed it down while Sophie looked at me, frowning.

As I ran out the door and got into the school bus, I waved goodbye to my Mom.

I pretended to put my agenda in my backpack, but really I was talking to the Three Minecrafters.

"All right, you three. Stay in my backpack and do whatever you want, besides escaping or yelling. Got it?" I muttered in a low voice so no one would hear.

"Got it," they all chanted.

James, who was sitting next to me, noticed and asked, "Caleb, are you talking to someone?"

"Me? Uh, nope!" I said nervously.

"Really? Well, you look pretty... stressed."

"Oh, no," I said. "Oh, no, I'm completely fine."

 _Now getting in trouble at home and your parent's business and even shopping malls, that's bad. But it's nothing compared to what would happen at school._ I thought.

 _I just hope they behave._

Alright, I'm a total _idiot,_ I know. I guess maybe bringing the Three Minecrafters to school wasn't the smartest move.

Even leaving them with Mom and Dad would have been better than this.

This suddenly hit me because the moment I got off the bus it suddenly occurred to me that it would be hard trying to hide these three little guys.

Even if they actually did stay in my backpack until school ends (which I by the way highly doubt they would do.) it would _still_ be pretty hard to keep them a secret.

So I figured I would have to tell at least _someone_ my secret so they could back me up whenever someone got suspicious.

Not Samuel. He would spill my secret three seconds after I tell them, because him and me haven't been pretty tight lately.

Not Beckett. She's terrible at keeping secrets. Dylan! He's my most loyal friend I have here!

Which is kind of sad because he told everyone who my crush was ten seconds right after I told him. (And no, you cannot know who it is.)

So I walked over to Dylan casually, then I leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Dylan. I have to tell you something."

Dylan jumped violently, but that didn't faze me. "Dylan, come on!" We both walked away, but an annoying jerk tailed us around. AKA Terrence.

Terrence is somehow always smiling, and he's really annoying.

What's even _more_ annoying is that it doesn't matter if you punch him really hard, tell him to go away, or just yelling at him, he always keeps smiling. It's like nothing bothers him at all.

"Go away, Terrence." I said to him, finally growing impatient after Terrence tailed us into the school and then into the hallways.

"No, Caleb. You might as well tell a rock to go away." He said, smiling that brilliant smile of his.

 _Stupid annoying stuck-up pig,_ I thought. Luckily, I thought of something quickly.

I had heard Terrence telling his friends who he had a crush on before all this Minecraft business.

Maybe I could use that to my advantage.

"Terrence, if you don't go away right now, I'll tell everyone you have a crush on Brielle," I threatened, my voice low and deadly.

"What? But, how did you-" Terrence stuttered.

For once, he wasn't smiling that stupid smile of his.

"No, no, I think you're thinking about someone else-"

"I know _perfectly_ who I'm thinking about, Terrence." I said in a cold voice.

"Fine, fine." Terrence scrambled into the classroom.

Before he went in, he turned to me and threatened, "I'll get you back for this, Caleb."

The threat would have been more scarier if he wasn't waving his math homework in my face.

"And if anyone asks where we went, tell them we're in the bathroom!" I called after him.

"Wow," Dylan said. "I never knew you had it in you to blackmail someone."

"Must be my hidden talent. Dylan, listen-"

I gasped as I heard my teacher, Mr. Beckett, talking to Mr. Adler, the principal.

And they were coming closer! "Quick!" I hissed. "In here!" I whispered, pulling Dylan into the bathroom.

"Caleb, what is so important that we have to-" Dylan started to say, but I clapped my hand over Dylan's mouth, cutting him off.

I heard Mr. Beckett walk past us.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in.

"Alright. Before we were so rudely interrupted, I was going to tell you this."

I told him the whole story right from the start. And after I'm done, I wait, wondering what he's going to say.

"Well, that was certainly very fun, but I don't see what's so important. You could have told me this story in the class."

Wait. What?

Is he saying what I think he is?

"I mean, it's not like you'll get suspended for telling stories," he continued.

I felt scandalised, annoyed, and disappointed.

I was telling him a really important secret-possibly even more important than Dylan's favorite show being canceled, and he didn't _believe me!?_

"Fine! I'll give you proof!"

I ran out of the bathroom stall and to my locker.

Dylan caught up to me no problem. Not very surprising, considering he's the most fast and agile kid in school.

I opened my locker, ignoring Dylan, who was still going on about why I had discussed this in a bathroom stall.

"And... I'll show you proof soon, Dylan, just you- huh?" Suddenly the bottom of my stomach sank. I felt sick.

I felt a hole. A hole in the bottom of my backpack. Not even Alex was there.

They were gone.


	6. Finding The Minecrafters

Chapter 5

Finding The Minecrafters

"But... where are they?" I said frantically. "They were here! I swear!"

"Listen, this is all funny and stuff... but drop it, ok? I don't know about you, but you are taking this prank _way, way, waay_ to seriously." Dylan said, looking at me as if he was afraid for my sanity.

"I _have to find them, Dylan!_ Even if I have to run into the teacher's lounge to do it!"

I yelled in his face.

I then ran off, leaving Dylan standing there looking bewildered.

I searched for him everywhere, and then I heard him; _Jesse._

He was complaining, "This is no fun! I'm bored to death!"

The thing was, he was inside Ms. Lincoln's classroom, and I would be in hot water if Ms. Lincoln caught me in her classroom if I didn't even have a good reason to be in there.

I peeked inside. No one there except Jesse, who was sitting on Ms. Lincoln's desk, fidgeting with a block of wool.

I looked at the schedule. It was gym right now. _I have to get Jesse before Ms. Lincoln and her class comes back!_ I thought.

I jumped into the classroom and leaped at Jesse.

He yelled and leaped off Ms. Lincoln's desk, and I smashed into her desk, winded. I rubbed my head and glared at Jesse, who was running towards the door.

"Oh no you don't!" I yelled, and I threw myself in front of the door and shut it.

Jesse yelled and changed course, running for his life.

Uh, I mean freedom.

I ran towards him, and reached out for him, but he poked my index finger with his sword.

"Ouch!" I yelled, and sucked my finger, still groping around for Jesse, who had disappeared.

Suddenly I spotted him, climbing up a desk.

I grabbed for him, but he threw an enderpearl, and there was a ' _Bamff!_ ' sound as Jesse successfully teleported onto the next desk.

He drank a Potion of Leaping and jumped off the desk he was standing on-right before I toppled it over.

He leaped desk to desk, me flipping desks to try and shake him off onto the floor.

A mistimed jump led to him tumbling to the floor, and now he was going nuts, bouncing everywhere.

He then drank a Potion of Strength, and picked up a stapler and threw it at me.

I ducked and it sailed over my head into the smartboard with a _clink,_ putting a dent in it.

He leaped at the window and pushed the window open a crack, and then he tried squeezing through the small crack in the window.

I grabbed him just in time, breathing like I just ran a world marathon. " _You,_ " I gasped, "Are in _big trouble, Pufferfish!_ "

" _Pufferfish?_ " Jesse repeated, highly insulted.

"Where are the others, Jesse? _Tell me!_ " I yelled, shaking him.

"Simmer down, simmer down!" Jesse reassured, still looking slightly disgruntled at the insult.

"Jesse, I need to know where they are!" I yelled, still panicky. "Or they could be stepped on, or spotted by someone, or...sold!"

"All right, all right. Steve said he was going outside, and Alex said she would explore from the bottom floor."

My heart sank.

I couldn't split in half. And even if I could (which would go against the laws of physics) where would I find them?

Then I had an idea. Dylan!

Now that I had Jesse, he would have to believe me.

But then I saw what a mess I had made. I had overturned almost every single desk in my haste to get Jesse, and Jesse had even made me flip the teacher's desk!

I definitely didn't want to get caught here. Otherwise, I would be writing lines until the year 3000!

I was ready to go back to my classroom when I heard something.

Footsteps.

Something clicked in my head.

 _MS. LINCOLN. AND HER CLASS. COMING STRAIGHT TO THE CLASSROOM._

I started to panic, but then I saw the perfect hiding spot.

I hid in the cabinet, pushing textbooks and binders out of my way.

I left the cabinet door open a crack and told Jesse, "Jesse, be really, really quiet, or else-"

I heard a muffled voice and I fell silent. "Strange. I didn't close the door. Did any of you close it?" It was obvious she was talking to her class. There was a pause, so I guess they just shook their heads.

"If one of you are lying...oh well. I suppose it just shut by itself." I closed my eyes. Soon she would see what a wreck her classroom was.

I heard a jingle of keys and heard the door open.

I heard a chorus of gasps, shrieks, and yells.

"W-what is this?" Ms. Lincoln said, completely shocked.

Pause.

"Wh-who-" Ms. Lincoln stuttered.

 _If I get caught, I'm going to be expelled. Or I'm going to be given detention until the end of the school year._ I thought fearfully. I saw Jasper, one of my friends, walk towards my cabinet.

He reached for the handle-and-I held my breath.

 _Here comes the screaming. And punishments._ I thought mournfully.

 _BRRRIIINNNGG!_

All of the kids filed outside, and only Ms. Lincoln was left behind.

"Well...I must go outside...supervision..." she said to no one in particular, than walked out.

 _Saved by the bell!_ I thought.

I burst out of the cabinet and waited a bit until Ms. Lincoln was outside.

I caught Dylan just as he was walking down the stairs.

"Caleb!" he exclaimed. "I've been looking all over for y-"

"Ok, got it. You know how I told you about the Three Musketeers?" I interrupted him.

"Yeah," he said cautiously.

"Get a load of this!"

I pulled out Jesse and he jumped at him, brandishing a diamond sword.

" _Yahhhhh!_ " Jesse yelled.

Dylan screamed and leaped backwards, nearly falling down the stairs.

"But...what...how did...what is..." Dylan stammered.

I shoved Jesse into his hands.

"Watch him. And find Alex, I think she's downstairs. I'll be outside."

I ran downstairs and out the door. The great search had begun!

I searched outside, on the soccer field, in front of the school, but I couldn't find him anywhere, until-I heard a scream.

An extremely familiar scream. I didn't need to think.

" _Steve!_ " I said out loud, and found Steve running as hard as he could from a group of ants.

"Helpppp!" Steve moaned. "I-huff-can't-puff-run-huff-any-puff-harder!" Steve gasped, and collapsed face down on the ground.

I raised my foot and crushed the ants, which were almost on Steve.

"Thanks," Steve said gratefully. "That was close. I was just hiding in a hole I made under this ground, and let me tell you-the dirt on this dimension is much, _much_ tougher than the dirt back in the Overworld! I was just digging deeper, because I tell you, it was _completely_ chaotic out there! All that yelling, and shouting, and wrestling, and-and-well, you get the idea. I saw a hole, and then a red silverfish with legs attacked me! I killed it, but even more came, and they chased me everywhere!

I was already tired from digging that hole, so it looked like I was bug-food...but then you saved me!"

I sighed in relief.

I decided not to tell Steve 'red silverfish with legs' were extremely common on Earth.

"This dimension is sure dangerous."

I grinned. "Darn right you are! With things like broccoli and math? Terrifying."

"What's broccoli?"

I heard footsteps, so I grabbed Steve and shoved him in my pocket.

Then I saw Miles, one of my friends, coming. "Oh, hey, Miles, what's u-"

"Dylan told me you were looking for some small guys called Alex and Steve. Plus, he showed me Jesse. He talked to as many people as he can."  
My mouth fell open. I felt as if I had been blindfolded, spun around in circles twenty times, and then thrown into outer space.

In other words, I was shocked.

"Whaaaaaaaaat."

My shock quickly turned to anger.

"Why!" I screamed. "Why can't I have a easy life!?" I screamed at the sky. When I get my hands on Dylan, he's going to wish he was never BORN. I thought.

 **Yeesh...Dylan better had watch out.**

 **Sorry for keeping you waiting so long. I would update more, but school is slowly sucking the life out of me.**

 **Just a quick note-this story is prewritten, so it's just a matter of finding the time to update.**

 **I'll try to update more, but I don't know when I'll be able to fit it in.**

 **Peace out! Thanks for reading!**


	7. Make Way For Marco, The King Of Bullies

Chapter 6

Make Way For Marco, Lord Of Bullies

 _I can't believe him!_ I thought angrily. _I can't believe Dylan! I told him to keep it a secret, but no! He told practically EVERYONE IN THE SCHOOL!_ I thought, fuming.

Honestly, if there was actually a class in school called How To Keep Secrets, Dylan would probably get a F minus!

No, an F would be too kind for him. More like an _Z minus minus!_ It was the end of school, and I was walking to the school bus, but I had forgotten about Alex because I was so upset...until I heard Alex's scream.

"Helllllpp meeee!" I dashed to the place where Alex was screaming, and I saw Alex, dangling on a tree branch.

"Heeelp!" Alex yelled. "Caleb? Is that you?"

"Yeah! Alex, listen. I need another person to help me, I'm allergic to cats, just-"

"I don't think we have a lot of time to get help, Caleb!" Jesse muttered as the cat leaped into the air.

The cat hit the branch Alex was grasping, and Alex screamed as she was thrown off.

" _Alex!_ " both Jesse and me yelled.

I dived with my hands out to catch Alex, who was falling down faster than a bullet.

I caught her and landed on my stomach on the soft grass.

There was a hiss _._ The cat leaped at Alex, and-

 _POW!_

I kicked out, hitting the cat.

The cat flew away, landed on the ground, and slunk away, cursing in cat language. (He or she was hissing quite a lot.)

I got up and brushed myself off.

"Well, that was certainly...exciting," Steve said as I put Alex in my backpack.

Alex gave Steve a glare, and I started to walk towards the school office to phone my dear old Mom, and tell her what had happened so she could pick me up.

You honestly didn't think it would be _that_ easy, did you?

"Hey, nerd. Nerdypants! Come here!"

 _Uh oh._

I walked even faster until a tough hand grabbed my backpack and yanked me onto the grass.

I tried to get up, but he pushed me down with his foot.

 _Please don't let it be Marco, please anyone but Marco-_ I thought, but nope.

Of all the bullies in the school, it had to be Marco.

Marco had a black shirt with a skull on it growing a rose from its mouth, and ripped brown jeans. He also had a silver necklace with a skull on it (he probably used it to strangle people.) and black hair that went all the way down to his neck and dull gray eyes.

And Marco is no ordinary bully. He is about _fifty times_ scarier and deadlier than a starving lion.

Well, no, he's not that bad. He wasn't even in this school last year.

But anyways, the rumor goes that Marco messed up a kid _so bad_ that he had to eat food with a straw for _weeks. Weeks!_

Then the principal kicked him out of school, causing him to move to this school.

So yeah. You can see what kind of situation this is.

"I told you to _come here,_ nerd. But you _disobeyed._ You know what that means?"

 _I dunno, death by a firing squad? Sentenced to sixty years in juvenile prison? Forced to eat celery?_ I thought sarcastically.

"I'd like to break your arm, but can't risk that. So that means..."

Dooon't say it. I repeat. _Do not say it._

" _SWIRLY TIME! HA HA HAAA!"_

Ok. He said it.

So if you don't know what a swirly time is, well, I'll explain it in the most simplest way possible.

A little underwater exploration... _in the toilet!_

For maximized annoyance, flush the toilet, which he will do 99.99 percent of the time.

I tried to escape, but he still had his foot on my chest, and I wasn't gonna risk dying of suffocation.

"Unless...my friend told me that you have _three little guys_ in your backpack. Give me 'em, and no swirly time."

 _Wait wait wait. Give the most meanest bully in school_ (probably in the entire world) _my Three Minecrafters?_

 _NO WAY. NO DEAL. ZERO. ZILCH. NADA._

"Sorry to disappoint you, Marco, but no deal."

Marco's grin vanished.

He moved his foot off me, and I got up and ran-but not before he stuck his hand in my backpack and pulled out Jesse and Alex!

I screeched to a halt and turned, but before I could catch him, he was running.

"Stop! Marco! Please! MARCOO!" I screamed.

He was gone.

I got on the bus, devastated. What could I do?

There was no way I could get Jesse and Alex back without getting mauled.

How could I get them back?

I pulled Steve out of my backpack, and moaned, "Steve, what are we gonna do?" "We beat him, of course," Steve replied with an evil grin. "We beat him until he gives us the duo." "Steve, you don't know this guy. Like, at all. He kicks any living thing besides plants for _fun._ Also, he messed up this kid so bad once that he had to eat through a plastic tube for weeks! Plus, even if we could, it's kind of against the law to hurt anyone a lot."

Steve's eyes widened. "Really?" he gasped.

(I don't think Steve noticed the last part.)

"Really," I replied grimly. "We're going to have to find a way to get back Jesse and Alex."

"Stop it! Stop!" Jesse complained as Marco poked him. "Yeah, leave us alone if you know what's good for you, jerk." Alex threatened.

Marco laughed. "You? Hurt me? Ha ha haaa! Ohhh, I'm _so_ scared, don't hurt me, please!" he moaned, and burst into laughter.

Jesse made a wild dash for the window, but Marco slapped him mercilessly, causing him to fly backwards and hit Alex. They both toppled down, yelling. At that moment Marco laughed so hard that Alex was nearly blown away.

He grabbed them and threw them into a cage with lots of wood shavings.

"I'd rather eat a creeper than be stuck with him!" Jesse muttered mutinously. "How are we going to get out of here?"

"I don't know, Jesse. I don't know." Alex said as they watched Marco through the bars.


	8. The Minecrafters Strike Back

Chapter 7

The Minecrafters Strike Back

We spent all night thinking of a plan, and Steve was thinking so hard that he almost didn't notice the apple pie in front of him.

And that means a lot, cause Steve _loves_ those apple pies.

You'd think I would spend the entire night awake, my eyes wide with worry, wondering about the fate of Jesse and Alex.

Nope. After we got in bed, I fell asleep without a thought.

Only two days, two very long days with the Three Minecrafters, and I had already lost almost all of my Minecrafters!

I woke up early, pondering what to do.

I spotted an slingshot that I barely used.

 _Ding!_

My drowsiness quickly vanished as a plan started to take shape in my mind.

I woke up Steve, who got up pretty grumpily.

"Let me sleep, Caleb, I hardly got any sleep last night-" he started to say.

I interrupted him, "Steve, I have a plan!"

Steve snapped awake and listened to my plan, a diabolical smile appearing on his face, getting wider and wider.

I had formed a great plan. A totally reckless and dangerous plan with the risk of us getting our necks snapped, sure, but a great plan nevertheless.

So the plan was that I follow Marco to his house (He walks home, which is lucky for us.) and I wait until he walks into the house, then I creep into his neighbours backyard, and fire Steve into his room with a slingshot once he goes to the bathroom. (He always keeps his window open a crack. Dylan told me.) And then Steve will drink an invisibility potion, which will enable him to get Alex and Jesse unseen, and I will creep into Marco's backyard to catch the Three Minecrafters after they jumped out. Then I would run back screaming all the way to the school, where I could phone my parents and feed them a fake story about why I didn't come home after school ended. Perfect plan, I know.

Meanwhile, although I didn't know it, the two Minecrafters were also hatching up a plan!

Marco had locked them in an old hamster cage he hadn't used in a long time.

(I can't imagine Marco owning a hamster.)

"Alex, Alex!" Jesse whispered. "I have a plan. When Marco goes to the bathroom, you'll break through the door with a diamond pickaxe, then we'll sneak over to Marco's bed and steal one of those paper structure thingys that he keeps making.

You know, it glides across the room pretty easily."

(He was talking about paper airplanes.)

"Wait, but isn't it pretty...crashy?" Alex asked, frowning.

"Oh, we'll jump off before we crash into anything," Jesse said airily. "The grass could cushion our fall if we crash."

"Wait a second. _Could?_ "

"Oh, it might be a hard landing, but it'll be good enough!" Jesse said.

"But then how are we going to get out? Squeeze through the gap in the fence? We're not even small enough for _that!_ And we can't mine through! The material in this world is _way more_ tougher than the material in our world! This is hopeless." Alex moaned.

"It's only hopeless if you keep thinking it's hopeless," Jesse said, rapping her on the head.

"But we'll never be able to get out of here!" Alex exclaimed.

"Now, there's a happy thought." Jesse said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Listen, it's going to work. Just you wait."

After school ended the next day, I followed Marco, hiding behind a bush whenever he looked behind him.

He walked into a sand-colored house, and I leaped into his neighbor's backyard silently.

I put Steve in my slingshot, and said, "Good luck. You're going to need it." I aimed-and fired.

That's where it all went wrong.

Suddenly, a paper airplane flew out of the window.

I watched in terror and shock as Steve flew towards the paper airplane, hitting it and falling to the ground.

I heard Jesse screaming, "HEEELLLP! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!" while at the same time latching onto Alex so hard that she almost suffocated.

There was now a dent in the paper airplane, and it plummeted straight down and hit the ground with a terrible crash.

(Actually, it was more of a _flump,_ but I'm going for dramatic tension here.)

I climbed over the fence and hit the ground, momentarily winded. I saw a flash of white, and I started crawling towards it as fast as I could.

I saw a dirty, broken paper airplane, and Jesse, covered in head to toe in dirt.

"Jesse-" I gasped, and Jesse wheezed, "Alex...Alex..."

"What about Alex? Jesse?"

I pressed my finger on his stomach, and a few specks of dirt flew out of his mouth. "Alex. Alex. Find—Alex-" Jesse groaned and slumped.

I searched for Alex and Steve when I heard a growl. I slowly turned to see a evil looking bulldog, glaring at me.

It barked, and I kicked it in the face and ran as hard as I could until I glimpsed a flash of orange, and I dived down and came back up with Alex's unconscious form.

I searched frantically for Steve, but yelled in shock as the bulldog attacked, leaping at me. Suddenly there was a yell.

"Daisy? Is that you?"

For a second I was distracted-did Marco actually name his dog _Daisy?_

I was jolted back into reality when the bulldog snapped at me.

I threw the bulldog off me and looked for Steve, just when Marco spotted me through his bedroom window.

" _You!_ " he growled, and disappeared from view.

 _He was coming!_ I searched for that short brown hair, that light blue shirt untucked on one side, those dark blue jeans-I heard a door slam and running footsteps.

I grabbed Jesse and Alex and jumped over the fence just as Marco came around the corner.

I started crawling towards the street-I was almost there-

I looked up. And I saw Marco. Staring at me. Enraged.

He roared in anger and grabbed for me, but missed. I knocked his hand away-and ran.

I ran as fast as I could. I ran like the only safe place in the world was the school. (In my case, the safest place in the world _was_ the school.)

I ran until I was almost at the school. I looked back. Marco had given up and walked back into his house.

I sat down, my head in my hands.

I had rescued Jesse and Alex, but at the cost of Steve and maybe even his life. That was a pretty high fall.

I'll probably never see Steve again.


	9. Marco's Daily Dose of Torture!

Part 2: Steve

* * *

Chapter 9

Marco's Daily Dose Of Torture!

Ooohh...

Am I...dead...? Is this...heaven?

Wait.

Now I remember.

I crashed into that stupid paper thing. And then I fell. Huh.

I should probably eat something. I need to conserve my-

Wait. What's that sound? I hear Marco talking to himself.

"Gone. That little coward's gone. He's ran away."

Phew! Caleb's ok! _But...am I?_ I thought uneasily.

"Well, let's go back inside." Marco sighed. "I totally would have been justified if I broke his arm then and there. Come on, Daisy."

 _Daisy? Marco named his dog_ Daisy? I thought. I honestly would have laughed if I hadn't been so terrified.

Marco walked away, and so did Daisy. But then Daisy hesitated.

 _Please go inside,_ I prayed. "What is it, Daisy? Did that fool come back for more? I highly doubt it. He's too weak to stop me."

Daisy trotted over to where I was hiding.

I had to run. The alternative was having Daisy gobble me up like a lump of sugar.

I gritted my teeth and ran. "There he is! Get 'em, Daisy!" Daisy quickly pounced and cornered me. There was no place to go. (Actually, there were lots of places to go. But Daisy would probably gobble me up before I took a single step.) I tried to run anyways, but Marco snatched me easily.

I struggled in his hands. "You can't escape, twit." Marco said. "There's no escape."

Then he flicked me in the face, and I blacked out.

I woke up in a hamster cage, Marco looming over me. "Ah!" he exclaimed. "Our sleeping beauty is awake!" I had no idea what he was talking about, but I got the feeling he was mocking me.

I checked my inventory, but there was nothing in it.

Not even a dirt block.

 _Marco must have got smarter after Jesse and Alex escaped._

"Now, come on! We have lots of fun ahead!" Marco said. He opened the hamster cage and literally had to drag me out.

He then took me all the way to the bathroom. Luckily, he didn't drop me in the toilet. Instead, he tossed me into a bathtub. I got up and realized I was back at home.

Back at the village.

But there was something different. There was a huge tower made of red and white bricks.

That wasn't there before.

No. This was not home. This was a crude simulation. Some weird studs rose from the ground, and there were villagers, but they had no expressions and weird looking legs and arms.

This entire place was made of bricks. (Marco really knows how to make people miserable and homesick.)

Suddenly I was jarred out of my thoughts by a large 'thunk'. I turned and saw Marco turn on the water.

I thought the water would just drain down as usual, but water slowly rose until it was a few centimeters high already.

The tub was filling fast, and I had to get to high ground.

Suddenly there was a _crash_ as the white and red tower collapsed.

"Oops." Marco said with a diabolical grin. The water was already up to my chest.

Marco used his hands to make a huge tidal wave.

"Help! Help m-" The water slammed into me, and sent me hurtling through slightly blue-green water. I gurgled. Right about then, up was down and down was up.

I gasped as I came to the surface. The walls of the tub were enourmous. There was no way I could climb them. And they were also slippery. I put one hand on it, and it instantly slid off.

There was only one way to drain the water.

Pull the plug.

I took a deep breath and went under. I swam through the water gracefully, taking great risks and swimming smoothly through the debris floating through the water.

That's what I wanted to think.

In reality I was frantically floundering around, bonking my head on some random bricks and falling deeper and deeper.

I finally get to the bottom. I see that my air is limited. I need to do this fast and quick.

I quickly make my way to the plug. I then pull on the plug as hard as I can.

Nothing happens.

Dismayed, I pull even harder. Nothing. I'm starting to lose air.

But the surface is too far away. I need to make this count.

I pull at the plug like I've never pulled before. (Ok, that's a line I never thought I would use.)

I'm starting to get weak. My lungs are screaming, yelling at me to get some air, but I have to pull the plug. I tug at the plug weakly. (Hey, those rhyme!)

 _I'm sorry, Alex. I'm sorry, Jesse. I'm sorry, Caleb._

 _I'm not coming back._

Then I remember them. Alex. Jesse. Caleb.

I'm doing this not only for my life-

but for them.

I pull like I'm under the effect of a Potion of Strength.

The plug opens. I start to black out.

 _Goodbye._

Black.

I wake up in a pile of green bricks. I guess the green is supposed to represent grass.

I sit up. It looks like a tornado swept through the village.

There are random stray bricks everywhere. The buildings are demolished.

There's even a roof on one of those poor plastic villagers.

Marco then walked into the room. "Aha!" Marco said. "You figured out how to pull the plug! You're not as worthless after all!"

 _Um, is that a compliment?_ I thought.

"Come on! I've got even more fun for you!" Marco said.

I got the idea Marco clearly didn't know what the word 'fun' meant.

Marco then proceeded to drop me in the living room.

He gave me a head start because he didn't want the chase to end so quickly.

Marco had closed and locked all windows and doors, so escaping was impossible.

I had no idea who or what I was hiding from, so I just ran under Marco's bed.

Then I heard a growl.

 _Oh, no._

 _Daisy._

I yelp in terror as I see Daisy's ugly face barely one inch away from me. Her paws swipe at my face, but I quickly flatten my self to the ground.

I rolled away as Daisy slammed her paw into the ground where I had been just a few seconds ago.

I leaped back as Daisy snaps at me, growling and barking fiercely.

I yelped as Daisy's paws swipe at my face inches from my face. I realized that Daisy was stuck. I howled in triumph.

"Take that, you furry idiot!" I yell.

After a few hours of mocking Daisy I think of Caleb. And Alex. I wonder what they're doing.

I'm horribly homesick.

 _So...guys._

 _I might be a little preoccupied right now, but...I..._

 _..._

 _I promise...I promise I'll find my way back to you._


	10. Jailbreak

Chapter 10

Jailbreak

 _Steve is dreaming. His dream is not so much as a dream, but a memory. Steve is 17 in this memory. Steve is sleeping._

" _Steve?" someone whispers all of a sudden. "Steve, are you awake?" Steve wakes up. He gets up._

" _Alex? What is it?" Steve asks. "Steve, I'm scared."_

" _Scared? Why?" "Do you think Daddy will ever come back?"_

 _Steve inhales sharply. This is not a subject he likes to talk about._

" _No...he's not coming back." "What about Mommy?" "Neither of them. They're both dea-" Steve bites his tongue. He doesn't finish his sentence._

" _Steve...sing to me." "No, Alex, you know I'm terrible at singing." "But it's still funny."_

 _Steve smiles despite himself. He will do anything to protect his sister._

 _Another memory. This one is quite recent. "How do you know that he's a good guy?" Alex argues. She's talking about Caleb._

" _Because he didn't harm us in any way! He didn't starve us, he gave us as much food as we liked!"_

" _How do you know he's not going to sell you for money or something?" Alex shoots back. "How do you know he's not just using you for popularity or something?"_

" _You saw how he tried to keep us a secret! He's not like Dylan or Terrence or any of them, who would just use us for their own gain!"_

" _He trapped us in three glass cups when he first met us! Just because you're my big brother doesn't mean you get to make all the decisions! You're not even a good brother anyway."_

 _The last line hits hard. Alex seems to realize what she said. "Um, Steve..."_

 _"Shut up, Alex."_

 _"Steve-"_

 _"JUST SHUT UP!" Steve yells all of a sudden._

 _"SHUT UP! YOU THINK CARE WHAT YOU THINK? I seriously have NO idea WHY I try to PROTECT YOU SO MUCH."_

 _Steve stalks off Caleb's bed, leaving Alex devastated. "Steve...Steve..." Alex called._

"Hey! HEY!"

"Gah!" I leap to my feet.

I look around wildly. I'm in the hamster cage.

Marco must have found me. I'm surprised he didn't wake me up and make me do some more torturous activities.

"Wake up, cuz we have a full day of fun ahead of us!"

I was starting to hate the word 'fun'. _What torture has he prepared for me today?_

"Today's a school day, so I'm bringin ya with me!" I perked up.

"Oh, I see you're waiting to be rescued by Caleb. He wouldn't dare. And even if he tried, I'd beat him into the ground." My heart sank. That was true.

I reluctantly got pulled into his backpack.

It was so stuffy and uncomfortable, I thought about how even Caleb's bed would be better than this. (I kept getting lost under the covers.)

But then I saw it. A chance to get out. To escape.

There was a tiny hole at the bottom of the bag.

I quickly made my way towards it and tried to widen it with my hands. Nothing happened.

I thought hard. Suddenly I saw a pair of scissors. I quickly dragged the scissors across the bottom of the back pack. It was hard-the whole place was bouncing up and down, but I was determined. I poked the blades through the hole and slowly cut through the bottom of the backpack.

 _Riiiip._

I came tumbling out of the backpack. _Yes! Victory! Now I just have to get to Caleb. But first I have to wait for Marco to get all the way to school._

So I waited until Marco was out of view.

 _Now...it's time to get to Caleb!_

I started to go to Caleb's school, confident.

Until something grabbed me. I looked behind me. There was a cat.

" _Nooo! Bad cat! Very bad—ow!_ " I yelled. " _Stop! Please! No! Arrgh!"_

The cat kept dragging me across the sidewalk.

I got scratched and hit every part of my body on some random rock or stick. I picked up a stick and whacked at the cat, and it let go with a hiss.

My body was completely sore.

I flinched as I gingerly touched my back. I felt like I had just been dragged through a bunch of broken glass. It really hurt from dragging my back across cold hard stone.

Then I realized how much trouble I was in. I looked around.

This place did NOT look familiar. AT ALL.

I was standing in front of a building made out of red bricks that had the sign, 'library'.

I very narrowly missed getting squashed by a foot.

 _So everybody's so busy they don't even notice me? Sweet! But on the other hand, I'm constantly in danger of getting turned into a pressure plate._

My first thought was to call for help.

But that would cause more trouble than there needed to be.

Then I would probably be sold for a bunch of money, or maybe I would end up in some test lab with shackles attached to my ankles and wrists.

I needed a hiding spot.

Quick. I couldn't just stand there. Surely I would get _some_ attention if I just stood there for the next half hour.

I searched for a suitable hiding spot. I had just found a suitable hiding spot, a giant dent in the ground, when a group of teenagers spotted me.

I went to hide in it when a hand snatched me up.

"Whoa!" all of the teenagers said, impressed.

"Whoa, can it talk?" "Is it some kind of experiment from the government?" "Guys, maybe it's a alien!"

"Let go of me, please!" I yelled. This didn't help.

"Oh my god! It talks!" "What should we do with it!?" "Lets keep it! You know, as a pet!" "What!? No! We can get some money out of this! Let's sell it!" "No, lets give it to the government! They'll know what to do!"

I couldn't stand it anymore.

I got out my stick I used to repel the cat and poked the guy's hand as hard as I could.

It was because of shock, not pain, that he let go.

I bolted. I collapsed, fell onto the sidewalk and sobbed. I wished I had never gone through that portal.

" _C'mon! It'll be fun! We can eat salmon and tuna all day!" Steve begged. Alex snorted._

" _The last time you tried to fish you accidentally snagged yourself and fell into the water. I've seen some real noobs, but how does one snag_ himself _with a fishing rod?"_

" _Oh, come on. I know you love those clownfish."_

" _I don't love them."_

 _"Yeah, right."_

 _Jesse walks out of his house._

" _You guys! I got the fishing rods!"_

" _Ok, fine." Alex says, staring at Jesse out of the corner of her eye. They walk together to a lake not far away._

 _Steve hurls the fishing line into the river. "Oh! Oh! Oh! I think I caught something!" Steve calls, excited. He reels in the line._

" _Ugh...It's very...oof...heavy...!" Steve huffs. He finally reels in the line, but instead of being rewarded with a fish, a squid flies out of the river and knocks Steve backward._

" _Ha!" Alex laughs._

" _Alright, little squiddie, time to go back into the wat—AAAAAAKKKKKK!"_

 _Steve jerks back as the squid sprays ink in his face. This makes Alex laugh even harder._

 _Jesse is peacefully sitting on the edge of the river, waiting for a pull. There is an amused expression on his face, though._

 _Suddenly Alex gasps. "I got something!" Alex says excitedly. She reels in—a dirt block._

 _It hits her in the face, leaving behind a brown smear._

 _Jesse finally cracks, bursting into laughter._

 _Steve finally manages to push the squid into the water, panting._

 _"Stupid...squid..." Steve pants._

" _Hey, look! A cow!" Steve cried and chased after the cow. "Steve! Stop! I thought we were here to fish! Steve!" Alex cried. Jesse and Alex chase after him._


	11. Caution: Evil Dog On The Loose

Chapter 11

Caution: Evil Dog On The Loose

I wake up as I'm slammed against the wall. My first thought is that Marco found me and is slamming me against the wall for punishment for escaping. But it's not. No one's there. I look around and then I'm slammed into the wall again. At first I panic. Is this some invisible creature on this world that doesn't exist in Minecraft? I've seen enough stuff on this world to believe it. But then I realize what's slamming me into the wall.

The wind.

(I can't believe it! I'm so pathetically small in this world that even the wind picks me up! How sick would that be?)

I struggle to get up, but I'm thrown at the wall again. And then a horrible thought hits me.

 _Is this going to go on forever? Or at least the wind stops?_

I fall to the ground, gasping for breath.

I scream as a newspaper flies out of nowhere and slams into me.

I'm thrown onto the sidewalk.

I have time to think ' _Uh oh._ ' before I'm picked up by the wind and flung across the sidewalk.

I'm tumbling through the air, occasionally hitting people and hitting tree limbs, in which case I'd yell "Ow!" over and over again.

And then I'm flung onto the road.

I splat into a car's windsheild and I hear the muffled screams of an unsuspecting driver. "Heeeelp meeee!" I scream as I am pulled off the windshield by another gust of wind and into the air.

I am soaring through the air like a leaf, spinning out of control.

I see the sky and the sidewalk and then the sky and then the black trunk of a car. I desperately scratch wildly at the trunk, but I have no hope.

I am blasted away again, screaming like an enderman in the sea.

"Goodbye, life! Hello, death!" I scream as I soar towards the tire of a truck.

Luckily, I soar out of the way just before I am about to be squashed.

Unluckily, I soar straight into a sign saying 'Family Foods'.

I see a blur of green, yellow, and white, and then everything goes black.

I'm dreaming again. But my dream is disturbingly realistic. I see Caleb pacing around, his face scrunched up with worry.

I note with horror Caleb's new black eye.

"He wasn't at Marco's house?" asked a small figure.

I realize with a jolt of homesickness that he is Jesse. He looks depressed.

"No. He wasn't. I tried to ask where he was, but he growled at me and said not to play dumb. That _I_ stole Steve from his backpack."

 _HEEEY!_ I wanted to scream. _I'M OVER HEEEERE! STEVE THE MINECRAFTERRRR!_

But of course he wouldn't hear me. And this was all a dream anyways.

Right?

"Did he..." Jesse gestured to Caleb's black eye.

"Yeah, he did that." Caleb said with a sigh. "I guess he was in a pretty bad mood."

"Wish we had more time. If only we had just had more time. If only Marco lived in the Empire State Building. If only he was at the 103rd floor when he saw us."

"There are only one hundred and two floors in the Empire State Building."

"Where'd you learn that?" Caleb said, surprised by the random fact.

"Google." Jesse replied.

"You went on my computer?"

"I was depressed, ok?!"

"I wish Steve were here."

"I wish Steve were here to see me wreck you at Mario Kart."

"Will you shut up on that?! Can you blame me if I have tiny fingers!?"

Caleb cracked a grin. "Nope. Though I _can_ blame you for stealing my corn dog and eating it."

Jesse's mouth fell open. "I thought you didn't know about that!"

"You actually thought I didn't notice you drag the my corn dog off the table? What do you take me for, a dirt block?" I smiled. Jesse always managed to get into trouble.

"I wonder where Steve is."

"Me too."

" _Auughh!"_ I jump up, looking left and right.

Everything is blurry, my entire body feels like I've been dunked into lava, and I'm somewhere I don't remember being.

Oh, and I'm lying in a pile of giant apples.

Do you know how much trouble I was in then?

If not, imagine this.

You're just cruising along, minding your business when a gust of wind picks you up, slams you into the pavement a kajillion times, and slams you into a sign saying 'Family Foods'. Then you have a weird dream that you don't know if it is real and actually happening or just your fears about what is happening to your friends. And then, you wake up to find yourself in a basket of giant apples.

See how much trouble I'm in now?

Some very startled shoppers are staring at me as I crawl out of the apples and fall to the floor. I then run through a ton of boots and high-heels and sandals to get to the exit.

But just my luck; the doors can only be pushed open, and I obviously won't be able to push that gigantic door open by myself.

I look around impatiently and then spot a woman setting her bag down on the ground. An idea flows into my head like water from a bucket.

I run as fast as I can to the bag.

Come on, _come on!_

I leap into the bag just as the woman picks it up.

Yes! Victory is mine!

I'm carried out of the store and I am thrown into a car. I nearly get crushed by a can of mangoes, but it's worth it. I get out of the bag carefully so she does not see me, and I look out the window. We're on a familiar street...but I can't remember where I've seen it.

I turn around and come face to face with an ugly bulldog.

The thing is, I remember this bulldog.

Daisy.

I scream so loud I'm surprised Marco's mom doesn't hear.

The dog barks at me and swipes at me.

I dive out of the way, and Daisy's claws sink into a bottle of Coke.

I'm running around, shrieking my head off as Daisy chases me around the car.

" _Daisy! What's the matter with you!?_ " Marco's mom yells.

The car stops suddenly, and the jolt throws me to the ground. I get to my feet right before Daisy grabs me.

"Noo!" I yell, struggling. Daisy growls, and I'm viewed with a magnificent view of her maw as she opens her mouth wide.

Suddenly I'm dropped, and for a moment I cant move. I sit up and see Daisy pulled out of the car by Marco's mom.

"Ha! Take that, loser!" I call.

Suddenly I realize that I am somewhere I never hoped to go to again.

Marco's front yard.

Talk about cruel coincidence.

But, then, if I'm in Marco's backyard...

That means I'm close to the school!

Awesome!

I hurriedly climbed out of the car, using every single bit of my strength.

I land on the sidewalk with a smack, and for a moment I'm winded. I get up, rubbing my stomach.

I see some kid get into a car.

Then I do the most craziest thing in my entire life.

I climb onto the trunk of the car just as it starts to move.

Caleb, here I come!

I'm drived all the way to Caleb's school. While the kid's not paying attention, I leap into his backpack.

It's very uncomfortable, but I'm filled with glee at the thought of meeting Caleb again.

Then we can laugh and laugh and laugh...and then maybe we can draw Marco's face on some paper and shoot arrows at it.

I don't see Marco giving the boy's backpack an evil look.

When the boy finally gets inside, I burst out of his backpack and search for Caleb.

He has to be in his class...right? I pass by the bathroom...and hear footsteps behind me.

I turn around and see the face of my nightmares: Marco.

He howls in anger and dives at me.

I yelp and leap out of the way just before Marco slams into the ground where I was standing just a second ago.

 _No!_ I think. _I'm so, so close and Marco won't let me escape!_

 _Unless I keep him distracted..._

I scramble into Mr. Clark's Grade 2 class, and Marco, without thinking, bursts into the classroom looking murderous.

Big mistake on his part.

I bolt out the door as Marco tries to explain why he burst into the Grade 2 class looking like a serial killer.

Marco is pretty dumb for a Grade 5-er.

But then again, he failed Grade 4 like ten times.

I run really fast, as fast as I can.

But then a group of Grade 5-ers walk out of Caleb's classroom.

The good news is, now I can find Caleb more easily.

The bad news is, I have to find Caleb while avoiding getting crushed.

I dance around, dodging cowboy boots and sneakers. But then I dodge some familiar looking runners.

Caleb's runners, in fact.

I howl, "Caaaaleeeeeb!"

Caleb looks down and freezes, his face filled with first frustration, then shock, and finally joy.

" _Steve!_ " he howls.

He picks me up and goes to hug me but then remembers I'm as small as a Lego person.

"Steve, how-how did you get here?" Caleb says.

I'm about to reply when someone bursts out of Mr. Clark's room.

Marco. And he's steaming mad.


	12. Caleb Turns Into A Tennis Ball Machine

Chapter 12

Caleb Turns Into A Tennis Ball Machine

Now, I've seen scary stuff before. I've seen hordes of monsters wipe out villages. I've seen an entire village catch on fire with everyone still in it.

But seeing Marco when he's mad is definitely in the top five.

Marco was breathing through his nose, and he looked furious.

I turned pale.

"Oh, no." I moaned.

" _CALEBB!_ " roared Marco. He dived, slamming into him.

I yelled as I fell out of Caleb's hand and was nearly squashed by Marco's flailing fist.

I rolled out of the way just as Marco's hand slammed into the ground where I had been a few seconds ago.

 _Oh, man._ I thought. _Please don't tell me I went through all that torture to be squashed by Caleb's foot._

Luckily, the teacher pried them apart before Marco could strangle Caleb with his necklace. (And before I could be turned into a Steve Slab.)

The teacher told us to go ahead to the gym while he lectured Marco.

We walked into the gym, and Caleb was totally freaking out.

"What are we going to do!?" Caleb panicked. "Marco is going to _kill_ us after school!"

"Not if I have anything to do with it." I said and set my jaw determinedly.

"How are you going to do that, exactly?"

"Uh. I. Don't. Know?"

"Thanks, that's _real_ reassuring."

"Hey, just trying to help." I protested.

Suddenly Marco walked into the gym.

He looked even _more_ murderous than before, which I hadn't thought possible.

The gym teacher said that the class was playing dodgeball, whatever that is.

I don't exactly know how this game worked, but when Marco asked to be the person that picked the players and put all the most meanest, ugliest kids on the other team, I had a feeling that this game was most definitely _not_ going to be safe.

The gym teacher didn't know what to do with me, so we just put me on the bench with his water bottle.

I sighed with relief when I found out we were only throwing soft balls made of wool, not balls made out of iron or diamond.

But apparently if you throw those balls hard enough they can pack quite a punch.

Literally.

I know that not because I was hit by a dodgeball myself (even if somebody dropped it on me lightly it would _still_ hit me quite hard.) but because Caleb was hit by one.

And trust me, you do not want to be Caleb right now.

As soon as the game started, Marco picked up a dodgeball and threw it so hard I couldn't catch up with it if I drank a potion of speed 100.

Caleb got hit in the stomach, and he crumpled like a dirt block dug by a diamond shovel with Efficiency 100.

"Caleb!" I yelled. Caleb looked at me, and he shook his head weakly right before he got clocked in the head by another dodgeball.

That was it for me. The risks were high. But that wasn't going to stop me.

My heart said, _Caleb needs you! You have to help him!_

I strode towards Caleb heroically.

But then I ducked as a green dodgeball flew inches from my head and nearly toppled over the water bottle next to me.

Gulp. _On second thought, I think I should stay here._ My brain said.

I yelped as a second yellow dodgeball nearly turned me into a Steve pressure plate.

"Hey!" I yelled. "You nearly turned me into a 2-D character!"

Suddenly I realized that the other team was aiming at me on purpose. Marco must have told his goons to crush me for revenge.

I dived out of the way as two dodgeballs, one red and the other black slammed into the place where I had been a moment before.

Suddenly I heard a bellow: " _Stoooop!_ "

Then I saw Caleb pick up a white dodgeball and hurl it at the Marco's nearest henchman's nut.

He automatically folded over, slumped on the floor, and groaned.

"That's my man!" I cheered.

The thought of me going through all that torture just to be squashed by a dodgeball must have ignited Caleb, because he was a pro.

He picked up and fired dodgeballs as if he was in a ball pool, and Marco's goons were going down, collapsing under the might of three balls at once.

Caleb threw two balls in a second, and they flew at warp speed towards the other team, hitting the other team.

Caleb's team just stood there, gawking as Caleb obliterated all of the bullies and crooks.

Suddenly one person threw a ball. It missed, but it broke everyone out of their shock.

"FOR THE MINECRAFTERRRS!" Dylan bellowed and threw a dodgeball at one person's unsuspecting face.

It was chaos; dodgeballs were flying everywhere, clocking people in the head or knocking them over.

Caleb looked exhilarated, throwing dodgeballs like throwing knives.

"Whoo hoo!" Caleb cried as he threw a dodgeball that knocked off Terrance's glasses.

He ran around yelling, "Where's my glasses! Where's my glasses! Where's m—"

Terrence's head snapped to the side as another well-aimed ball from Caleb hits him in the side of the face.

Marco is almost as good as Caleb, throwing balls with force and howling "DEATH!" to everyone he sees. Eventually it's just Caleb and Marco, sizing each other up.

Some people are whooping and cheering, "Give him a headache, Caleb!" "Crush his skull, Marco!" Most people are just watching nervously, chewing their nails.

(Some are actually dragging unconscious people off the gym. Seriously, that's how hard Marco throws.)

It reminds me of a western movie, except with dodgeballs instead of revolvers. (Something tells me it'd be real messy if there were revolvers.)

Marco makes the first move, firing balls in all directions. Caleb dodges around, ducking and jumping and diving.

Some people 'ooh' when Caleb makes a spectacular slide, sliding out of the way of Marco's dodgeballs.

Some people are wondering why Caleb isn't throwing any balls, but I know his plan. He's going to keep dodging, keep dodging until Marco loses all his balls. Marco is so furious that he's lost all ability to think.

He only realizes what Caleb's plan is when he looks around, searching for another ball to throw. He only has three balls.

Only then does Caleb start his onslaught.

He starts to fire balls even faster than before, throwing four balls per minute and dodging and ducking, firing balls like he was born to throw balls.

Marco is dodging, but suddenly something happens that ensures his doom.

He trips over a ball.

Now Caleb's hands are no longer visible, due to the fact that he's throwing everything he has at him. Literally.

Marco desperately rolls away, but he catches a ball in the face. And then in the stomach. And then everywhere else.

Marco gets up and opens his mouth to scream at him, but Caleb has other ideas.

"This is for the torture you gave my friends!" Caleb bellows.

Then, with the force of an iron golem, he hurls the dodgeball at Marco's face.

We all hear the sharp 'SMACK' of the ball.

Marco goes slightly cross-eyed. And he falls over with a sharp _BOOM._

Everyone is silent.

Then the gym becomes an explosion of sound, people screaming in delight and anger, people cheering and cursing.

The crowd starts to chant.

 _Cal-eb._

 _Cal-eb._

 _CAL-EB._

 _CAL-EB._

I look at him, and he looks at me.

I smile.

And he smiles back.


End file.
